The reconstruction of the Liebieg Palace in Liberec for more than 200 million is halfway through

Liberec – The reconstruction of the Liebieg Palace in Liberec, costing more than 200 million crowns, is roughly halfway complete. By the start of winter, craftsmen should finish most of the outdoor work on the building, but renovations to transform it from a former gallery into a community center will continue for about another year. It should be completed by October 2022, said Jan Lajksner, a technical specialist from the Liberec city hall, to ČTK. The 150-year-old building belongs to the city.

"Now it is important that most of the outdoor work on the object is finished before winter; then heating will be activated, and the building will be kept warm so that indoor work can continue in winter," he added.

According to him, work on the structures is nearing completion. "This means repairs to the ceilings and the roofs. We have the roof 80 percent completed. It has the original covering, which is slate, combined with copper sheets," Lajksner said.

The building is also regaining its original colors, which is visible from the side facing Komenského street. For several decades, the facade was two-colored, but it will return to a single color. Choosing it was relatively complicated, according to Lajksner. "Six samples of different colors were found on the building; gradually one was selected through a process of selection," he added. Instead of pale pink and white, the facade around the entire building will be light cream. "Only selected stone reliefs or sculptures were patinated to shades that resemble some natural stone," Lajksner said.

The reconstruction of the heritage-protected palace, which was built as a family residence by factory owner Johann Liebieg younger between 1870 and 1872, began last September. The wooden structures were in significantly worse condition than expected due to wood rot. Its spread was aided by the fact that the building had been empty since the relocation of the Regional Gallery at the end of 2014. "Sixty percent of the ceiling structures in the upper floors were replaced with new ones, and part of it was prosthetized," said the city's technical specialist.

The poor condition of the building is, according to city management, the reason why the renovation will cost significantly more than initially requested by the selected construction company. The contracted price was 203.5 million crowns, but it is now approaching 235 million crowns. Due to the increased construction costs, the city hall withdrew its original application for an EU subsidy and will reapply to secure more funds. "We plan to submit the application in December. We have consulted it preliminarily, so we hope to succeed," said Radka Loučková Kotasová (ANO), the deputy mayor, to ČTK. Liberec originally wished to obtain about 178 million from the operational program (IROP), but will now seek more than 200 million crowns.

After the reconstruction, the Liebieg Palace will become a meeting place for people ranging from children to seniors and various social groups. Inside the palace, there will be a large hall, an art studio with a workshop, exhibition spaces, computer and multipurpose rooms, two gymnasiums, and there will also be a café or a gardening club with a pottery furnace and greenhouse.